Tunisian Transport Minister terminates Muslim Airhostess for wearing Hijab

There couldn’t have been a shameful remark made by the Tunisian Minister of Transport earlier this week as he puts the job of a woman at risk for wearing a Hijab. Nabiha Al-Jalouli who is a flight attendant has been working for Tunisian Airlines. She has been a very dedicated employee and has been working well throughout her career. According to Mohamad Bin Ramadan, the minister of transport, Nabiha’s dress attire is putting the lives of passengers at risk.[irp]

One can wonder how would he justify his statement. Earlier this week, he has made statements against Nabiha that her wearing the Hijab minimizes her hearing by 30 percent! The accusation is not only false and highly irrelevant but has also raised many conflicts amongst the people in and around Turkey as well as the Muslims states around the globe. They have protested against Ramadan’s statement. A Muslim woman feels great pride in covering her head keeping in view of the commandments laid down in the Quran and in Islam. If flight attendant Nabiha wishes to continue her Hijab that is her choice and no job should be offered or risked on the condition of how her appearance may be.

Women raised their voices against the Minister saying that he has no right to question a woman’s Hijab. Her Hijab is for her God and it surely doesn’t affect the hearing at all. Further commenting on Ramadan’s statement, public health doctor Najib Mayna remarked that the minister should be given the Nobel Prize in Medicine for this spectacular and scientific discovery. The Minister had commanded to remove Nabiha from her job almost immediately, but the committee decided that she would continue her job and the reason was irrelevant.

Perhaps this was the first time that discrimination has taken such a massive blow especially from a country that holds many Muslims. There were a lot of protests carried out by the local museum as they held flags of Turkey and condemned the remarks of Mohamad Bin Ramadan in front of the Museum of National Bardo.

It becomes very important to notice that how many times must the woman have to explain herself for dressing herself in a way that will satisfy her and her religion? What accusations were put against Nabiha, have been put against many more flight attendants and woman in the working sector from countries all around the world who wear the Hijab.[irp]

What might have caught most attention from the media and other people was the fact that Ramadan’s sayings were all unjustified. He being a Muslims must not have made such a call asking Nabiha to leave either her job or her Hijab. Certain news does not differentiate the media from non-Muslim countries like America but when it comes to countries that abide by most of the Muslim norms, it almost becomes impossible to believe. Nabiha will shortly continue her job despite all the accusations and will continue the Hijab even at work.